A rare “brain-eating amoeba” has temporarily closed an Iowa beach. The beach at Lake of Three Fires in Taylor County is closed temporarily for swimming effective immediately.The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services announced the closure on Thursday night.The closure is because of Naegleria fowleri, known as the “brain-eating amoeba.”A Missouri resident has a confirmed infection after they were potentially exposed while swimming at the Lake of Three Fires.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state are testing the waters in the lake to confirm if the brain-eating amoeba is in the water. That testing process will take several days.This is the first reported case in Iowa, CDC data shows.The amoeba can cause extremely rare life-threatening brain infections.It can only occur if the contaminated water gets up a swimmer’s nose, and cannot be spread from one person to another.In a release, the state encourages people to take the following precautions to reduce the risk of infection by limiting the amount of water going up the nose:Hold your nose shut, use nose clips, or keep your head above water when taking part in water-related activities in bodies of warm freshwater. Avoid water-related activities in warm freshwater during periods of high water temperature. Avoid digging in, or stirring up, the sediment while taking part in water-related activities in shallow, warm freshwater areas.Naegleria fowleri is rare and deadlyAccording to the CDC, out of the 154 known cases from 1962 to 2021, only four people have survived — that’s a fatality rate of over 97%. The CDC says the majority of infections happen in freshwater — when the temperatures reach the triple digits.Most of the cases happen in the southern US — but a recent study found the parasite is showing up in the Midwest more frequently.The study says that could be the result of rising temperatures in the region.Other lakes the DNR doesn’t recommend swimming in: The DNR has issued “swimming not recommended” advisories for these 11 beaches — including Big Creek in Polk County.The issue in these lakes isn’t brain-eating amoeba, most have higher levels of e coli or blue-green algae.You can check the status of all State Park beaches at iowadnr.gov. More news:
A rare “brain-eating amoeba” has temporarily closed an Iowa beach.
The beach at Lake of Three Fires in Taylor County is closed temporarily for swimming effective immediately.
The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services announced the closure on Thursday night.
The closure is because of Naegleria fowleri, known as the “brain-eating amoeba.”
A Missouri resident has a confirmed infection after they were potentially exposed while swimming at the Lake of Three Fires.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state are testing the waters in the lake to confirm if the brain-eating amoeba is in the water. That testing process will take several days.
This is the first reported case in Iowa, CDC data shows.
The amoeba can cause extremely rare life-threatening brain infections.
It can only occur if the contaminated water gets up a swimmer’s nose, and cannot be spread from one person to another.
In a release, the state encourages people to take the following precautions to reduce the risk of infection by limiting the amount of water going up the nose:
- Hold your nose shut, use nose clips, or keep your head above water when taking part in water-related activities in bodies of warm freshwater.
- Avoid water-related activities in warm freshwater during periods of high water temperature.
- Avoid digging in, or stirring up, the sediment while taking part in water-related activities in shallow, warm freshwater areas.
Naegleria fowleri is rare and deadly
According to the CDC, out of the 154 known cases from 1962 to 2021, only four people have survived — that’s a fatality rate of over 97%.
The CDC says the majority of infections happen in freshwater — when the temperatures reach the triple digits.
Most of the cases happen in the southern US — but a recent study found the parasite is showing up in the Midwest more frequently.
The study says that could be the result of rising temperatures in the region.
Other lakes the DNR doesn’t recommend swimming in:
The DNR has issued “swimming not recommended” advisories for these 11 beaches — including Big Creek in Polk County.
The issue in these lakes isn’t brain-eating amoeba, most have higher levels of e coli or blue-green algae.
You can check the status of all State Park beaches at iowadnr.gov.
More news:
